Automatic boat bailer



Oct. 13, 1953 J. J. CUNEO AUTOMATIC BOAT BAILER Filed Oct. 2, 1951 INVENTOR JOHN J. CUNEO BY 7mm Hvv a da /4n ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC BOAT BAILER John J. Cuneo, Golden Meadow, La.

Application October 2, 1951, Serial No. 249,283

Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic boat bailer and has for an object to provide an improved boat bailer particularly intended for use on outboard motor boats or other boats which may operate at fairly high speed so as to plane on the water and thus raise the stern of the boat out of the water, whereby the water in the boat will automatically drain by gravity therethrough.

A further object of this invention is to provide a self bailer for an outboard motor boat which may be installed in operative position on the boat by merely drilling a drainage hole through the back of the boat adjacent the bottom and mounting this invention about such drainage hole.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an automatic boat bailer which includes a check valve which opens when the boat is riding at planing speeds to let the water drain from the boat by gravit and which closes automatically when the valve submerges below the water surface, needing no attention whatsoever from the operator.

A further object of this invention is to provide a self bailer arranged to be attached to the stern of an outboard motor boat and including a check valve made of flexible and yieldable material such as sponge rubber or the like arranged to close against. a hard valve seat, whereby should a portion of the valve seat be obstructed by debris,

the check valve will nevertheless close against the valve seat and cold flow about the debris to provide a non-leaking closure thereagainst.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an automatic boat bailer made of materials that are fairly easy and inexpensive to fabricate and assemble to thus provide a completed unit of low cost ready for simple installation through the stern of a boat.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, claimed and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the self bailer of this invention mounted in operative position on the back of a boat, on line Il of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a rear end view of the back of a boat fragment on which this invention has been installed, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the check valve in open position.

There is shown at ID a fragment of a bow of an outboard motor boat including the back wall ll and the boat bottom l2. The automatic boat bailer of this invention l4 includes a tubular pipe member is having a flange H5 at one end thereof and provided with spaced openings therethrough for receiving a plurality of securin screws l'l arranged to pass through the openings into the boat back wall I I. Extending from the flange I6 is a tongue I8 provided with upturned spaced apart ears 20 and provided with aligned apertures for receiving a hinging cotter pin 2| therethrough. Pivoted on this hinging cotter pin 2| is a bent end 22 of a hinge strap 23, the other end 24 of hinge strap 23. being somewhat curved corresponding to the curvature of a compressible rubber ball check valve 25. Bent end 22 of binge strap 23 acts as a stop limiting the upward hinging movement of the check valve 25. This check valve 25 is secured in position on the curved end 24 of hinge strap 23 by means of a stove bolt 26 extending through the ball check valve 25 and an aperture in the curved end 24 of the hinge strap 23 and is secured thereto by a nut 21. The end of the tubular member 15 from which the flange I6 extends provides a valve seat 28 against which the ball check valve 25 closes by gravity from the position shown in dotted outline at 25 in Fig. 1 to the position shown in section at 25.

In operation, the ball check valve 25 will normally remain closed against its valve seat 28 when the boat H) is at rest in the water or only moving slowly therethrough with the valve below the static water level, for the hinged end 22 of the hinge strap 23 is located forwardly of the center of gravity of the ball check valve 25 whereby the ball check valve 25 normally tends to close against its valve seat 28. It will be noted that due to the ball check valve 25 being of compressible rubber such as soft rubber, impregnable sponge rubber or the like, should any particles of debris block a portion of the seat valve 28, the ball check valve 25 would still close over such particles of debris and make a tight seal against the valve seat 25 as the yieldable check valve 25 would coflow about the debris to the sealing position.

Although this invention may be used for other types of boats, it is particularly intended for high speed outboard motor boats which normally operate at such speed as to plane on the surface of the Water with the bow of the boat [0 pointing upwardly somewhat, thereby causing any water that has collected in the boat to flow backwardly toward the stern. The weight of such water collected in the stern of the boat will cause it to flow through the opening in the tubular member I5 and against the ball check valve 25 thereby opening the ball check valve 25 and draining the water from the boat to thus bail out the boat. As the boat slows down, the bow of the boat would drop downwardly toward horizontal position thus closing the valve by gravity bringing the ball check valve 25 against its valve seat 28 to thus close the valve and seal it against leakage as the stern of the boat sinks downwardly into the water when the boat has dropped below the planing speed. Thus no leakage can take place at any time, and bailing takes place automatically every time the boat has reached planing speed. Such action will be entirely automatic and without any necessary action or attentionfrom the operator (if the boat.

The automatic boat bailer M of this invention may be easily installed in any existing motor boat by merely drilling a hole of suitable? diam" eter through the back of the boat adjacent its. bottom into which the tubular mel'nber I! may be inserted and held therein by' the screws: I? through the openings in the flange l6 whereupon it is ready for automatic operation at any time;

While the device hasbeen shown and the structure described. in detail, it is obvious. that this invention is not to be considered as being limited to: the exact form disclosed. and that changes in: detail. constructionmay be madethereiri within the scope of what isclaimed; without departing from the spirit or this. iii vention Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed: is:

1;- An' automatic boat bail-er comprising a tu= bular member extending horizontally through" an:

appropriate hole bored in the. stern end of a boat below the. static" water" level, a vertical flange at one. end or said horizontal tubular member at theouter side of theboat, said-flanged end of saidtubular member providing. a valve seat, a valvefor said valve seat comprising a compressi: ble: ball check valve. member, means hin'gedly supporting: said ball check valve member from the top of said flange to close against said valve seat and stop means in the path of said hinged supporting meanslim'itirrg the opening movement; thereof.

2. An. automaticboat bailer comprising a-. tubular memberextending horizontally through an appropriate hole" bored in the. sternaend'ofi a boat.

below the: static. water lev'el,. avertical flange at one end of.- saidhorizontal tubular member atthe' OUEEIYSldB of. the boat, sa'id flanged. end of saidtubular member providing azvalve seat; a valve for said. valve; seat comprisinga compressible ballcheck. valvemember, means: hingedly' supporting said ball. check valve member from thatop' (if-said.

flange" to close against said. valve. seat. said supporting" means. comprising a. hinge:

strapsecured at one end: to saidballohe'olyalve member on azsideof the valve: member. away from the valve seat-and means hinging' the otherzend of saidhirige strap: to said-flange and stop means.

in the path of said hinge strap limiting the open ing movement thereof..

3'; An' automatic boat bailer comprising a tu= bular member extending'hori-zontally through-anappropriate holebored in-the-stern'end of aboat below: the static water level, a vertical flange at one end of said horizontal tubular member at the outer: side of thexboat said fian'g'ed end of:

saidtubular member providing a valve seat, a"

valve for said valve seat comprising. a com pressible. ball check valve member, means hinged= lys'upporting said ball check valve member from the top of saidfiange to close against said valve seat, said hinged supporting means compriseingahingestrap secured at oneend to said ball check valve member on a side of the valve member away from the valve seat and means for pivoting the other end of said hinge strap to said flange said pivoting meansincluding a pair of spaced apart ears eittendihg {rpm said flange and a pivot member supported by said spaced apart ears, the pivoting end of said hinge strap cooperating with said pivot member and an angular'. bend said pivoting end providing a stop limiting the opening movement of said hinge strap;

automatie'boat trailer comprising a tubular member extending horizontally through a bore hole in the stem end of a boat below the static water level, a vertical flange extending fromone end: ofsaid horizontal tubular member atthe outer side of the boat, said one end: or said tubularmember providing a" valve seat, a pair of upstanding spaced apart ears on: said: flange, at pivoting cotter pin: supported by said spaced apart ears, a curved hinge strap having a bent end looped. about said pivoting cotter ping. said bent encl' providing a stop. limiting the opening movement of said hinge strap, a; com pressible rubber ball check valveand means". securing said: compressible rubber ball check valve to theother endof said hinge-strap.-

5". automatic boat bailer comprising a tu bular member extending horizontally through: a.

bore hole in the stern end ofa boat" below the static water. level, a vertioai' flange extending from one end" of said horizontal tubular? member at the outer side of the boat said. one end or said: tubular member providing a valve seat, a pair of upstanding spaced. apart. ears' on said flange,

a pivoting. cotter pinsupported by saidspaced.

apart. ears, a curved hingestrap having one and looped about said pivoting cotter pin and hav--* ing an. aperture adjacent its other end, a; compressibl-e rubber ball check valve and means securing said compressible rubber ball checltvalve to the apertured end of said hinge strap, comprising a stove bolt extending diametrically through said ball checls valve; and said apertured.

endtotsaid hinge. strap; nut means on said stove bolts securing said bolt: and said ball check valve to saidhi-nge' strap and stop means in the path of said hinge. strap limiting tneopening move ment thereof;

JOHN- J References Cited" in the file or this atent UNITED STATESPATENTS' Number Name Date 277,162 Baker May 8, 1833 406,635 Coates Apr. 2,.1'889 7'7"];6'54 Hooi'i et al. Dec. 13, 1964 899,248 Ebbe -i Sept. '22, N08

1,623,843 nan Apr. 23;.1912

124L408 Lizarraga; Sept. 25, 1917 1,536,369" Ki'zer May 5', 1925 2,138,362} Briant Nov. 29, 1938 2,265,596 Carlson 9,3194! FOREIGN PATENTS Number n Country fiate 106,112 Germany e NOV. 6, 1899 

